Straw Into Gold, A remade Rumplestiltskin Story
by Chibi Horsewoman
Summary: AU. Like the story of Rumplestiltzkin, but hate how the poor guy always explodes in the end? Not this time. An OOC Sesshomaru and Kagura play lead roles in this remake of Rumplestiltzkin. No unecessary explosions at the end.
1. Part one

**Straw into Gold**

**Dedication: This story is dedicated to all the people who have read and reviewed my stories, Especially Zelda Chic04 who put me in one of her stories.**

**Quick Japanese to English Dictionary stuff:**

**Musume= Daughter**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or Rumplestiltskin. They belong to their respective owners. The original idea for an alternative Rumplestiltskin story belongs to Vivian Vande Veld and her book _Tales from the Brothers Grimm and Sisters Weird._ I'm just responsible for placing Kagura, Sesshy and Naraku in the story. **

Once upon a time in feudal Japan before the days of fire insurance and labor unions there lived a miller and his lovely daughter Kagura.They were a were a small but happy family and the mill made enough money to keep the bills paid and even allow them a few luxuries like red eyeliner and such. Unfortunately, this all ended when the mill burned down.

It was all tragically sudden one minute they had a home- the next they had nothing but the clothes on their backs. No money, nor any way of making money. Not even the possibility of ever getting money again unless one of them came up with a plan.

Now the miller had been a very prosperous miller. He was probably a very good father as well, but his planning skills left much to be desired.

His plan consisted of he and his daughter sitting by the side of the road and waiting until someone who looked wealthy passed by. When this happened the miller would then announce: "My daughter can spin straw into gold. Is that not amazing?" After catching the person's interest. "And who could help but be interested?" The miller had argued- he would say-"Give her but three gold pieces and she'll spin a barn full of straw into gold for you."

If the rich person was still interested the miller would then explain that his daughter's magic only worked by moonlight. "You must leave her alone and no disturbances what-so-ever-all night long. And by dawn all the straw shall be spun into gold."

"I'm afraid I don't understand father." Kagura replied respectfully. "This plan of yours is a bit flawed. I can't even spin wool let alone straw into gold. The last spinning wheel I touched broke. I have no idea-"

"No, no, no." The miller interrupted shaking his head. "You don't get it."

"Ano, papa, that's what I just said."

"Listen then, musume." The miller explained carefully. "The plan is that after we receive our fee, we'll run away in the middle of the night to another province."

"That's stealing-which is wrong." Kagura pointed out frowning. "What kind of role model are you teaching your child to be dishonest like that? You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Yes, you're right about that musume, what I'm making you do is wrong." Her father admitted. "But, we shall use that gold to build a new mill. Then once that mill is up and running successfully, we'll save the extra money until we can repay the person we stole it from. So technically we aren't _really_ stealing from anyone, just borrowing."

Kagura still didn't like the idea, but since she also had no other job experience beyond milling and it was her duty to be an obedient daughter, she agreed.

So, Kagura and her father sat on the side of the rode and waited for a rich person to pass by. As bad luck would have it the first rich person to pass by was the richest person in the province. He was the ruler of the province-Emperor Naraku. (AN: Sorry for the interruption, but I'm practicing artistic licensing)

"Oh fudge," Kagura muttered to herself, recognizing the imperial seal on the carriage. "Father, maybe we should wait for the next one."

But if the miller was bad at making plans, he was even worse at changing his course of action once it had started. Standing in the middle of the road waving his arms he called out, "My daughter can spin straw into gold! If you give us three gold pieces, she shall spin a whole barn full of straw into gold for you!"

The emperor gave the signal for his driver to stop the horses. "You," he called, leaning out of the window. "Both of you people come closer." The emperor wore an outer kimono of rich plum silk embroidered with jewels and gold thread. He had more gold rings on fingers than he had fingers and his wig-which was heavily perfumed-was made up of thick black ringlets veiling his pale face. Naraku drew a handkerchief from the sleeve of his inner kimonos and placed it under his nose, for Kagura and her father still smelled of smoke from their ruined mill. "What did you say?" He ordered.

The miller wasn't sure if the emperor's question meant that he should now explain about how his daughter's magic only worked by the light of the moon or if the emperor was hearing impaired and needed everything repeated to him. The miller chose to repeat his story incase the emperor really was hard of hearing. Clearing his throat, he began in a loud voice, enunciating each word slowly. "My daughter can spin straw into gold. If you give us but three gold pieces, she shall…."

The emperor abruptly cut him off. "Yes, yes. I heard all that. But if your daughter can spin straw into gold, why are you two dressed in rags?"

The miller hadn't anticipated this question. He was already to explain about how the moonlight was the only way that the magic could work. He hadn't thought about the possibility of someone questioning their appearance. _Perhaps,_ thought the miller, _I could explain that because of a new moon, there has been no moonlight to work with?_

"That's a very good question." Replied the miller. "A very good question which I have a very good answer for. Why _are _we in rags?"

Naraku dabbed at his nose then dropped the handkerchief into the muddy street. Since he never used a handkerchief more than once. After the old one fell into the mud he pulled a new one out of his sleeve then turned his attention back to the miller and his daughter. "Well," Asked the Emperor impatiently, "I'm waiting for an answer."

"My spinning wheel broke." Kagura explained quickly.

"Yes, " The miller agreed. "And then before we could replace it, our mill burned down with all the straw."

"Hmm," The emperor replied. "Very well then. You may follow me to the castle. Upon arrival you shall be provided with _seven_ gold pieces and a spinning wheel along with plenty of straw." He then dropped his second handkerchief into the muddy road without even using it and motioned for the driver to get his horses moving again.

The miller nudged his daughter as they started following after the carriage. "See, musume?" He said. "I told you this plan would work. The emperor is even paying us double the asking price."

"Yes," Kagura replied dully. "So you did and he's paying more than what you asked." But she was still worried about the final outcome of this plan.

And Kagura was right to worry, for when they arrived at the castle the plan began to come apart at the seams.

Naraku insisted that Kagura do her spinning inside the castle itself instead of the barn.

"But," The miller protested, "she must do her magic at night, by the light of the moon."

'Never fear," Said the emperor. "The rooms on the third floor have windows to let in plenty of moonlight.

The miller gasped for breath since it would be next to impossible to get Kagura away from the castle if she was too high up. He tried again. "But if Kagura is interrupted at _any_ time the magic will reverse itself and the gold will turn back into straw."

"Not to worry, my servant shall lock her in her room and my _guards_ shall be posted outside her door to make sure she is not disturbed in any way.

Kagura elbowed her father hard warning him not to say anything else that may worsen their predicament.

'And of course." The emperor added meaningfully. "If she fails at her task, she loses her head in the morning." To his guards he said, "Take this man away and lock him up. Make sure he doesn't try any funny stuff-like escaping." As two of the largest guards took hold of the miller's arms and led him away, the emperor called out. 'Come back tomorrow and I'll give you your seven gold pieces or your daughter's head."

"But…but…"The miller stuttered, but before he could think of anything else to say, he was dragged out of sight.

Leaving Kagura alone, for the first time in her life.

The emperor had her led up to a room that was as large as the entire mill had been. Servants brought in a sturdy looking spinning wheel and then load after load of straw until the whole room was covered in straw save for the small area around the spinning wheel.

_How in the world am I going to get out of this mess? _Kagura asked herself. She had hoped to sneak out the door while the servants were busy making their deliveries of that hateful straw, but someone was always watching her. Then, after the palace guards had locked her in, she tried to pop open the lock with a hair pin like all the heroines in the stories do, but Kagura's end result was nothing but a bent hairpin. She couldn't even climb out the window, which was way too narrow to pass through and very high up. And even if she did manage to escape-what about her father?

She kicked at the spinning wheel knocking it over. This made her feel a little better, but not much.

The servants hadn't bothered to feed her and now as the room grew steadily darker and darker and the only light that filled the room was the moonlight streaming through the window of her prison, Kagura hungrily added dinner to the list of meals she had missed today.

Sitting on the stone floor, the last thing in the world she wanted to start doing was crying, but that's exactly what she did.

After a while-after quiet a long while-Kagura used the sleeve of her kimono to rub her eyes and nose since she didn't possess a handkerchief, silk or otherwise. From behind her came the sound of someone clearing his throat discreetly. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagura saw that whoever was behind her was holding out a handkerchief to her.

Without turning around, Kagura tried to work out her explanation. "Well, you see." She began slowly. "Crying, well, it's necessary for the magic…. The tears are a lubricant for the spinning wheel…but as I'm sure you've been informed this only works when I'm completely alone and since you're watching, I'm definitely _not_ alone. Also, since you were watching, I won't be able to do the spell again until-" At this point she did turn around, and she stopped talking midexpalnation.

She'd been expecting to see the Emperor or one of his servants at the least. Instead, crouched behind her was a young man who was obviously not even human. Infact, he was a demon, but a_ good_ demon. Tall and slender, with pointy ears and markings on his face, he'd been listening very attentively if somewhat disbelieving.

"Well, that certainly doesn't make much sense." He told her, but then he smiled and Kagura thought that he was handsome in a strange otherworldly way. He was quick to add, "But I do admire your quick thinking."

"Who are you?" Kagura gasped in surprise. "What do you want? How in the world did you get here?"

The young demon paused a moment to consider the questions, then answered in the order they had been asked: "Sesshystiltzkin. I heard you crying in my world and came to see what was the matter. And sideways, in between the particles."

"What did you say?" Kagura asked disbelieving.

The demon raised his voice slightly and spoke clearer. "SesshyStiltzkin. I heard you crying and-"

"No, no, no. I meant the part about…_sideways?"_

Sesshystiltzkin nodded. "The world of humans and the world of magic exist side by side." He demonstrated by holding his hands out his long slender fingers spread, then he put his hands together, intertwining his fingers. "So that we're taking up the space that's not being used by humans."-he was watching her skeptically as if suspecting that she didn't understand his meaning, which she didn't.-"and vice versa."

"Oh," Kagura said. "And you heard me crying in your world?"

"Well," the young demon explained gently, "you were crying rather loud."

Kagura finally took the handkerchief he was offering and wiped her nose. She knew that blowing it would have been more effective, but too noisy and undignified. "I don't usually cry. I know it's rather stupid and it doesn't help anything and it's rather unattractive as well and-"

"But I heard it." Sesshystiltzkin said. "And I came to see what was the matter. So, you see, sometimes crying _does _help." He stood up straight and looked around the room. "Castle." He said as though he hadn't noticed before where he was. "Despite the straw, this is definitely a castle." He looked closer at Kagura. 'However, you don't look much like a castle person."

"That's because I'm not a _castle _person," she admitted. "I'm a _mill _person. Except that the mill burned down. Then my father told the emperor that I could spin straw into gold so that we could get a few gold pieces from the emperor to rebuild our mill. We would have paid the gold back except that the emperor locked my father in the dungeon and me in here and I have to spin all of this straw into gold by dawn or he'll chop off both our heads."

Sesshystiltzkin was obviously impressed. "You can spin straw into gold?"

"No." Kagura replied dully.

"Then," Sesshystiltzkin said, "I think your plan is a bit flawed."

"_That's_ why I was crying." Kagura rested her face in her hands.

Sesshystiltzkin started to place his hands over his ears. "You 're not going to start crying again, are you?" He asked sounding worried.

"Nuh-uh, "Kagura replied. "You can go back where you came from. I won't bother you again."

But the young demon just stood where he was.

After a while he said, "You weren't _bothering _me. I just wish I knew how to help you."

The sad thing was that even without raising her head and looking at him, Kagura could tell he was truly sincere. Beyond helpless, but truly sincere about wanting to help her out of this predicament.

" I think it's really admirable," he continued, "that you were planning on paying back the money, even before the emperor gave it to you. But I've honestly never heard of someone spinning straw into gold. I would have no idea where to start."

"That's alright," Kagura said, trying to sound convincing. "I suppose that getting one's head chopped off is probably more pleasant than starving to death. It's definitely quicker."

After a few more minutes Sesshystiltzkin spoke up, "I have an idea."

Kagura finally looked up.

"We could throw the straw out the window, then I could replace it with go from my world. As long as it doesn't have to be spun out."

"I doubt the emperor would complain no matter what form the gold was in, but would you really be willing to do that?"

Sesshystiltzkin nodded. "In exchange."

"Nani? In exchange for what?" Kagura asked

"What do you have?"

Kagura thought for a minute. The mill had burned down with all her possessions and all she had was her second best kimono and her favorite fan. The fan with a delicate ivory spine and 24 karat gold embroidery had been her mother's. "I have this fan with gold embroidery which belonged to my mother" Kagura said pulling the fan from the folds of her kimono and holding it out.

Sesshystiltzkin looked from her to the fan and back to her again. "You want me to substitute this straw into a room full of gold and you're offering me this fan with gold embroidery in exchange?"

Kagura felt her face grow red with embarrassment. "Gomen nesai." she said. "I wasn't thinking-"

"No, no," Sesshystiltzkin said. "I didn't mean that…." She could tell that the young demon was genuinely distressed that he had upset her. "The fan will be fine."

She handed it over, for even if he meant to take it and run away and never come back with the gold to replace the straw she certainly wouldn't be any worse off than she was at that moment.

But he didn't run off. The demon kept disappearing (sideways, he insisted, between the particles), but he always returned with gold cups and gold chop sticks and gold jewelry assuring her each time that everything would be fine everything would be fine and that the emperor would allow her to keep her head firmly attached to the rest of her body. Kagura kept throwing straw out the window until the next thing she knew she heard the emperor's voice on the other side of the door saying, "It's dawn. Unlock the door and meet your fate!" She threw the last armload of straw out the window and when she turned back, Sesshystiltzkin was gone and the emperor was standing in the doorway blinking his eyes in amazement.

"Well done," the emperor said taking a bit of snuff. "I must say: very well done."

"Thank you, your eminence," Kagura replied curtsying. "Now, if your eminence wouldn't mind…."

Before she could finish, the emperor gestured to one of his attendants who reached into a bag hanging from his sash. The emperor picked out seven gold coins and dropped them, one by one, into Kagura's hand.

"Thank you, your eminence." Kagura replied curtsying again. "I-"

"In fact," the emperor said stroking his chin, "this is so well done I think we shall hire you for another night."

"Ara," Kagura gasped, "demo-"

The emperor gestured to another attendant. "Clean her up," he ordered. "Feed her. Keep her amused until tonight. He looked around the room appreciatively again. "Most impressive." He sighed happily gazing at the room again.

Which didn't improve Kagura's apprehensive mood one little bit.

**I'm going to end the first part here. I was originally hoping for a one shot, but the story is just too long for that to be kind. So anyway, read and review and I'll get to the next part soon.**


	2. Part Two

**Straw into Gold**

**Dedication: The second part of this story is dedicated to all my reviewers who said they liked the first part and the Sesshy Kagura Pairing.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to the story, but I do own the ashes of the mill, which I'm about to sell on Ebay.**

**Recap: Kagura had met a demon named Sesshystiltzkin and he helped her get rid of the straw and fill the room up with gold. The Emperor was so pleased with her work that he decided to hire her on for a second night. What will happen next?**

The servants led Kagura down a hall into a bathing room where a tub of hot water and some scented soap had been placed. One maid helped the befuddled mill girl off with her old scorched kimono and Kagura eagerly sunk into the tub and began to wash off all the soot and sweat.

After she was done with her bath another maidservant came and dressed Kagura in a red silk kimono more elegant than any she had ever dreamed of wearing. Then a group of servants came in and laid out a feast for her, the most sumptuous food she had ever tasted on silver dishes. And all day long a succession of different servants played the taiko and sang her songs. They did pantomimes for her and brushed her hair until it gleamed like black satin and manicured her nails. They were friendly towards her in every way. But when evening came, they locked her in a room even bigger than the first and filled, except for the three-foot area around the spinning wheel, with straw.

Kagura sank down into one of the numerous piles of straw. _Well,_ she told herself, _with the exception of the threat of losing your head, you've never had a better day._ Then she tried to tell herself that she was lucky to have had such a wonderful day, but she didn't feel lucky. Instead Kagura felt let down. All that gold Sesshystiltzkin had brought and here she was right back where she had started. It was kind of him to have tried to help, but it had all came to nothing. She rested her chin in her hands and growled angrily.

And looked up again when she felt a gentle touch on her arm. "I wasn't crying." She pointed out.

'No," Sesshystiltzkin replied, "but this time I was looking for you." He walked around the room, or at least the spinning wheel part, which didn't have straw heaped around it. "More straw into gold," he observed. "Is the emperor still threatening to chop off your head?"

"Yup." Kagura replied caustically. She was tired of playing the victim one night was enough.

Sesshystiltzkin decided to ignore her tone. "Did he even pay you for the last batch?"

Kagura held out the seven gold coins the emperor had given her.

"Quite a bargain." The young demon sank down next to her in the straw. "Offer them to me, and I'll bring more gold."

Kagura looked at him incredulously. "Offer you seven gold coins for a room full of gold? At least the fan had some sentimental value."

Sesshystiltzkin just grinned at her. "Offer them to me." He repeated.

Kagura gently placed the coins into his hand.

Then, just as they had done the previous night, Sesshystiltzkin brought armloads of gold objects from between the particles while Kagura tossed straw out the window. But this time the young woman knew the king would be pleased, so instead of worrying if her head would still be attached to the rest of her body the next day, she and Sesshystiltzkin talked and laughed together as though they were old friends.

By the time the emperor had returned at dawn, all the straw was gone and the room was filled with gold.

"Domo arigato." Kagura whispered as they heard the key turn in the lock.

Sesshystiltzkin bowed politely, then disappeared .

The door banged open.

"Well done!" The emperor exclaimed once again. "Truly, amazingly well done!"

"Hai," Kagura replied quickly. "And now I must be leaving or my father will be wor-"

"Nonsense," The emperor interrupted. "Your father is just fine. And we're having such a good time together I insist you stay with me."

_If this is his idea of a _good_ time I'd hate to see him have a bad time. _Kagura thought to herself. Aloud she squeaked out, _"stay?"_

"Of course," the emperor replied confidently. "Someone with your abilities would make an excellent empress."

"_Empress?"_ Kagura repeated dumbstruck.

The emperor gave a gracious nod. "Spin another roomful of straw into gold and we'll consider that your dowry. I'll marry you the following day."

"Oh my." Kagura's hands flew to her face.

The emperor gestured to a nearby servant. "Dress her in the finest silks and jewels." He ordered. "Feed her off my own dishes. Treat her like an empress until tonight."

"Demo," Kagura started, "demo-"

The emperor kissed her hands and swept out of the room in a cloud of perfume.

The servants dressed Kagura in a kimono even richer than the one she was wearing weighed down with beads of jade and other precious stones. There were more jewels for her to hang around her neck and fingers and to hang from her ears; and they laid out a banquet for her with food even more sumptuous than the day before. The food was served on dishes of ivory and gold with gold chopsticks and sake cups. And all day long servants played the biwa and shakuhachi. They recited haikus for her and did even more elaborate pantomimes; and they styled her hair in an elaborate fashion and strung pearls through her hair, and gave her a pedicure so her feet weren't as rough as they had been, and were respectful to her in every way. But when evening came they locked her in a bigger room than the night before filled to the beams with straw except around the spinning wheel.

"Sesshystiltzkin," Kagura said out loud, "if there was ever a time I needed you this is it!"

The young demon appeared before her. He bowed just as he had bowed this morning when he left as though he had been awaiting her summons all day.

"This time," Kagura said cheerfully, "at least I have something to offer you." Taking off her gold and jade earrings she continued, "And I've thought of a way out of this whole spinning ordeal: I'll tell the emperor that my magic spinning cannot be done more that three times for any one person. Three is a magical number you know." She unfastened the diamond and ruby necklace, but Sesshystiltzkin hadn't even taken the earrings yet. "What's the matter?." She asked concerned for her friend.

"Those aren't yours to give," He said simply. "Those are the emperor's."

"Ara," Kagura indicated her rings and the jewels sewn onto her outer kimono and obi.

Sesshystiltzkin shook his head. "Didn't the emperor pay you for the second roomful of gold?"

"No," Kagura responded. "He told me he would make me empress."

"I see," Sesshystiltzkin replied. "Well, that guy certainly has a way with words. First he says, 'Spin the straw into gold or I'll cut off your head.' Then he says, 'Spin the straw into gold or I'll cut off your head,' then he says, 'Spin this straw into gold and I'll marry you.' No wonder you want to marry him, the guy's obviously a true romantic."

"Now wait a minute!" Kagura exclaimed. "That's not fair. It's not every day a miller's daughter gets the chance to marry an emperor."

"No," Sesshystiltzkin replied softly, "I would imagine not." The young demon stared down at his pointed shoes as he spoke.

Kagura shuddered. Having come so far, she had finally allowed herself to think that she may actually survive her father's plan. She finally spoke. "I have nothing to offer you."

Sesshystiltzkin gazed at her for a long moment before answering. "Then, I shall do it for you for nothing."

Once again they worked together, Sesshystiltzkin bringing gold from his world into the locked room while Kagura tossed straw out the window. But while on the first night they had worked frantically hoping their plan would succeed and the emperor would be fooled, and the second night they had worked enjoying each other's company-this third night they had nothing to say to each other and worked silently and grimly.

As Kagura tossed the last handfuls of straw out the window she turned to the young demon who had helped her out three times and saved her neck; literally, and said, "Sesshystiltzkin, I-"

But he had already returned to his own world without a word of farewell, leaving Kagura to wait for the emperor alone in the breaking dawn.

The emperor was delighted with his new roomful of gold, but when Kagura told him that the laws of magic prevented her from spinning anymore gold for him, he complained bitterly that she had tricked him. Naraku was all for chopping off her head, but the emperor's advisors said that, since the royal marriage had already been announced, this was probably not a good idea.

And so the emperor and the miller's daughter were married.

The emperor made a decree that, as empress, Kagura was prohibited from doing common things such as spinning, and he used this excuse for why she no longer spun straw into gold. And as for the miller, the king pronounced him Master Miller of the province, and all other millers had to pay a tax to support him so that the emperor's father-in-law wouldn't have to soil his royally connected hands by manual labor.

But the emperor begrudged the gold that Kagura couldn't produce for him and the marriage was not a happy one.

Eventually Kagura announced that she was expecting a child. This made the emperor a bit happier; for he said it was about time he had an heir. As if he was the one giving birth. But when the child was born, it was a girl, and the emperor claimed that as a girl she wasn't a fit heir, he refused to even visit his new daughter.

"Name her what you wish to name her," the emperor told Kagura. "It's no concern of mine."

Kagura fought an urge to throw her chamber pot at the emperor's retreating form. Instead she sat on the window seat in the nursery and rocked her unnamed baby daughter back and forth, so furious her eyes filled with angry tears. She stared out the window so her tears wouldn't fall on the baby, for she was determined that the child would never learn how her own father did not love her.

From beside her, as soft voice said, "She's lovely," Kagura turned and saw Sesshystiltzkin gently touch the baby's tiny hand. "She's lovely," Sesshystiltzkin repeated. "She looks exactly like you. Why are you crying?"

It was the first time that Kagura had seen him in over a year, since that last morning in that roomful of gold. She wanted to tell him how much she had missed him and how happy she was to see him again. How she had thought of his kindness every day of her new life as an empress, but instead she blurted out how the emperor was disappointed to have a daughter instead of a son.

"Anyone with a working brain would be proud to have her as a daughter." Sesshystiltzkin replied icily. "But maybe you could tell the emperor that when she gets older she'll be able to spin straw into gold." He knelt beside Kagura. "I'll come back, and bring him three more rooms full."

"That's very sweet of you." Kagura replied softly. "But I'm sure he'd love her if he only stopped to think about it."

In a voice so quiet Kagura had to strain her ears to hear him, Sesshystiltzkin said, 'I don't believe that love is really something you stop to think about. It's either there or it's not."

"What I mean is," Kagura explained, "I'm sure he _does_ love her, but he just doesn't realize it yet. Maybe I should tell him she's sick. If he's worried about her, he'll have to see how precious she is."

"But the servants would tell him that she _isn't_ sick." Sesshystiltzkin pointed out gently. "You could tell him that a wicked old demon is going to steal her away unless…."

Sesshystiltzkin paused to consider and Kagura responded, "You don't look wicked, and I'm sure that as far as demons go you're not _that_ old."

Sesshystiltzkin smiled at her, which made him look even less wicked and old.

It almost made Kagura wish…but that wish was much too dangerous to finish.

"We could tell him that you're the one who taught me to spin straw into gold." She said thinking quickly. "And that in exchange I promised you my first born child. The only way to break the agreement is…." Kagura sighed loudly. "Well, whatever it is that you ask of the emperor, it has to be something easy to make sure he can actually do it."

"But of course," Sesshystiltzkin agreed. "How easy?"

Kagura thought for a second and then replied, "He has to guess your name."

Sesshystiltzkin looked at her questioningly. "Easier than that," he suggested. "It's not that common of a name."

"Tell him you'll give him three days before you take the baby." Kagura answered. "Surely that will be enough time to arrange some way for _somebody_ to learn your name."

But it wasn't as easy as Kagura had thought.

The emperor was too busy with councils and court decisions to even ask why a wicked demon wanted his daughter. "We're still young, we can have more children." He'd told her before rushing off to another meeting. But even so, he did have the servants in the castle write out a list of all the names they could think of.

The next day, when Sesshystiltzkin appeared in the throne room, the emperor read out every name they had, starting with Achika and ending with Zelda

Sesshystiltzkin shook his head after each name and when it was over he told them that they had only two more days, but they'd never guess.

The emperor had to be at the dedication of a new ship that day, but he ordered the councilors and scholars of the castle to look through all the old chronicles of history and put together a list of every name they found.

The next day Sesshystiltzkin again appeared in the throne room and the emperor read out every name beginning with Aachen and ending with Zwingli.

Once again Sesshystiltzkin shook his head after each name, but this time he gave Kagura a worried look before announcing that they had only one more day but they'd never guess. He was beginning to worry, Kagura could tell, that they never would.

The emperor had been invited to a hunting party with a neighboring emperor, but before he left he told the servants to search around the villages and surrounding forests and countryside to see if they could discover any new names.

As the servants trickled back home that evening and the next morning one after the other with no new names, or even new words to be used as names, Kagura decided that she would just have to blurt out Sesshystiltzkin and hope that the emperor didn't ask where she'd heard it.

Then the last of the castle servants returned.

"Good news your highness," this last man greeted her. "Although I searched all day yesterday without finding any new names, as I was riding back to the castle through the woods this morning I came across that same demon who's been threatening the young princess. Fortunately he didn't take any notice of me. And even more fortunate he was dancing around a campfire singing, 'Yo-ho, Sashaystitzkiln-'"

"I beg your pardon?" Kagura asked. "Sashaystitzkiln?"

The servant repeated the name incorrectly again, saying, "He sang, 'Yo-ho, Sashaystitzkiln is my name. Sashaystitzkiln, Sashaystitzkiln, Sashaystitzkiln. The emperor doesn't know it. The empress doesn't know it. Only I know it and I'm not telling that Sashaystitzkiln is my name.'"

Kagura stifled a giggle, "That's quite a song," she replied trying not to burst into gut wrenching laughter at the image of the normally dignified Sesshystiltzkin dancing around a campfire, and-after all that-the servant getting the name wrong. Still Sesshystiltzkin wouldn't complain that it wasn't exactly right. "Well," she agreed grinning, "this is indeed fortunate. You have our gratitude, mine and the emperor's."

At least Kagura _hoped_ the emperor would feel gratitude, or at the very least, feign it.

Sesshystiltzkin appeared in the throne room at the appointed time, but the emperor was late getting back from an appointment with the royal wigmaker. When the emperor did finally arrive, laughing and carrying on with his companions he didn't appear nearly as worried as Sesshystiltzkin felt.

"We have discovered a likely name," Kagura announced to the emperor.

"Oh, that's nice." He replied absently, fluffing his new wig, which was even curlier than his _other_ two hundred wigs.

_Look at me, _Kagura thought furiously at him. _For Kami sake at least look at your daughter!_

But the emperor looked at his reflection in his gold hand mirror and blew kisses to himself.

Hugging her daughter close, Kagura turned to Sesshystiltzkin, who _was_ looking at them. _No one can change straw into gold,_ Kagura thought to herself suddenly. _Some things are just straw and some things are just gold, and sometimes you just have to figure out for yourself, which is which._

She walked past the emperor and laid her free hand on Sesshystiltzkin's arm, looking up into the young demon's eyes she said, "Take us with you."

So Sesshystiltzkin put his arm around Kagura and stepped sideways, as always, between the particles.

The emperor, of course hired his own publicist and messengers to spread the news of what happened. But as for Sesshystiltzkin and Kagura, they lived happily ever after. And it was Sesshystiltzkin who chose the name for Kagura's baby girl. He called her Abigail, which means "a father's joy."

**_The End_**

**_Thank you: _**

_Aamalie, SweetAngie7, Punkbabysitter, ZeldaChic04, InuYaska, MapleRose and Jenna_. 


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